Published Jan 12, 2021

The Hilarious Moment Alex Trebek Walked On-Set With No Pants Is One of the Many Reasons We’ll Always Adore Him

Longtime 'Jeopardy!' host, Alex Trebek, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in November 2020, but we continue to reflect on all the joy that he brought into our living rooms each night.

Anne McCarthy

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Alex Trebek's Pantsless Moment

This week on The View, Jeopardy! contestant and guest host, Ken Jennings, 46, remembered one of his favorite Alex Trebek moments: When he walked on-set without any pants.
Alex Trebek didn’t just make people laugh, but he also raised awareness around pancreatic cancer; he was diagnosed with the disease in early 2019 and passed away in November 2020 at age 80.
Being vulnerable while battling cancer can increase your sense of connection, and help those around you as well.

In case you never saw the video of the late Alex Trebek walking onto the set of Jeopardy! with no pants, it’s a must-watch. Trebek strolled onstage and said, “I was informed backstage a few minutes ago that our three contestants, Ken, Brad, and Jerome, wanted to relieve some of the tension and said ‘we must do the program without trousers.’ Now can we get a camera behind to make sure that they have done the same as I?”

Alex Trebek Hosts His Final 'Jeopardy!' In What Is Sure to Be an Emotional Watch; Trebek Died of Pancreatic Cancer in November

The camera panned to behind the contestants’ podiums to show them all fully dressed. Trebek, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in November, is beloved for many reasons, and his lighthearted nature, as seen in the clip, is one of them.

Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, 46, remembered this lighthearted moment on The View this week, saying with a smile, “About ten years ago, the contestants were nervously talking before the show and saying, ‘you know, behind these [podiums] we could take off our pants and no one would know.’ And Alex must’ve been listening because at the top of the show, the music plays, the announcer says, ‘the host of Jeopardy!, Alex Trebek,’ and he walks out in his boxers.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORRjAdsJvLg&t=109s

Trebek Helped Others While He Fought Cancer

Not only did Trebek put smiles on people’s faces, but he also increased their understanding of cancer. In March 2019, Alex Trebek shared with the world on-air that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He bravely continued to share his cancer battle with the public up until his death in November last year. His openness in sharing his fight with the world led to a marked uptick in curiosity and awareness of pancreatic cancer. This was dubbed “The Alex Trebek Effect,” and helped many people understand pancreatic cancer.

Detecting pancreatic cancer early is crucial, experts tell SurvivorNet. Pancreatic cancer is a quickly progressing disease, so when it is detected sooner rather than later, the treatment options may be broader, and the prognosis may be better. Dr. Anirban Maitra, the Co-Leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center said in an earlier interview, “Because the pancreas is inside the abdomen, it often doesn’t have symptoms that would tell you that something is wrong with your pancreas. By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain, or diabetes, it’s often very late in the stage of the disease. Each year in the United States, about 53,000 patients get pancreatic cancer.”

Dr. Maitra said that this disease is an aggressive one. “And unfortunately, most will die from this disease within a few months to a year or so from the diagnosis. And the reason for that is that most individuals, about 80%, will actually present with what we called advanced disease, which means that the cancer has either spread beyond the pancreas or into other organs like the liver, and so you cannot take it out with surgeries. Only about 20% of individuals will actually be candidates for surgery.”

Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial

Practicing Vulnerability Through Cancer

Alex Trebek was admirably brave and vulnerable throughout his fight with pancreatic cancer. It was his vulnerability that allowed him to deeply touch so many of his fans through his cancer journey. Dr. William Breitbart, the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, said in a previous interview, “Shame comes from this sense of vulnerability, right? There’s something wrong with me because I’m human and I’m susceptible to illness, and now I have an illness. Now I have cancer.”

Related: Stay Positive, It Matters

Dr. Breitbart emphasized how vulnerability can lead to a connection with others, the way it did with Trebek’s fans allowing him to feel closer to him after a cancer diagnosis. “What I will often point out to people is that we have the ability to choose how we respond to this vulnerability,” said Dr. Breitbart. “We can be ashamed of it. Or we can use it to create a sense of empathy. I’m imperfect. And now I understand other people who are imperfect. And so being imperfect can teach you how to love other human beings. And it’s what makes it possible for others to love you.”

A Major Step in the Cancer Journey: Learning to Deal With Vulnerability

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